Review: Point Zero Lounge & Restaurant, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Point Zero Lounge & Restaurant bills itself as Japanese Fusion. It is located on 1149 Granville Street just north of Davie, near the entertainment district. DH and I went to check it out during their “soft opening” week on January 29, 2011. They have been open for one month now. As befits the “Fusion” brand, the décor is modern so do not go expecting a traditional Japanese Restaurant. On Friday and Saturday nights there is a DJ so it was a little on the loud side, although still conducive to conversation. We noticed a glitter ball on the ceiling but were not sure if there would be dancing later. There are two huge projection TV screens on one wall so if you want to watch the game, make sure you are not situated directly under them. No sushi bar, but a large regular bar. The restaurant has ample seating, either booths or tables.

But of course, it’s about the food. We were impressed by the variety in the menu. A few typos, including a couple of mentions of “hot Koran sauce.” Hmm, Japanese fusion with Islam? When we inquired of the waitress, she said it was a hot sauce and brought us a sample, but never once did she say that it was really a Korean sauce.

L: Miss Piggy Roll. R: Bob Marley Roll. I know the Miss Piggy is named for the bacon in it, but it really looks like a pig, doesn't it? Maybe I'm just playing Angry Birds a little too much.

There is an extensive Martini list and a decent selection of beer and wines. We liked that you could order as glass of wine in either the 6 oz. ($6.95) or 9 oz. ($9.95) size. In most restaurants, you don’t even know what size you are getting, so this is a plus. Even for a restaurant that is not traditionally Japanese, there should be sake available and it was, although not on the menu. Some mixed drinks used sake as one of its ingredients so may be worth a try.

We ordered two appetizers, the chicken karaage ($8.95) and “sushi shooters.” I guess I was expecting sushi in a glass like an oyster shooter, but it is merely a pair of seared tuna nigiri topped with chopped scallions and a little bit of ponzu sauce. Still, quite tasty and at $3.95 for a pair, a decent price. The karaage was a disappointment since the outside was quite chewy and dry. It was accompanied by a “green salad” which was a small bowl of iceberg lettuce topped by a mayo-type dressing. The lettuce pieces were too big and the dressing was just slopped on top so it wasn’t very appetizing.

The bacon in the Miss Piggy added a nice salty crispy touch but overpowered the scallop and even the asparagus. It would probably be better paired with a stronger flavoured fish. I forgot the fish roe was even there until I looked at the description and then at my photos, so they could use more of this ingredient. The Fancy Roll was tasty, except my DH pointed out that there should not be a temperature differential in the ingredients in a sushi roll. Indeed, the cream cheese was cold, but after letting it sit for awhile it warmed up and was much improved. The Bob Marley was just right; all the flavours complemented each other perfectly and was the best choice of the evening. We did find the sushi rice just a tad on the soft side in all the rolls.

One order of assorted tempura for $7.95 rounded out our dinner. It was supposed to come with “3 large tiger prawns and a variety of veggies” but we had an extra prawn so that was a bonus. Top marks for the tempura, not at all greasy and brought to our table fresh out of the fryer. There are some intriguing items on the menu we didn’t try, including the electric banana roll (BBQ eel, avocado wrapped with tempura banana top (sic) eel sauce). There are other Japanese items such as udon and ramen, yakisoba, various donburi (rice bowls), and grilled items.

Final verdict? Not fantastic, but has some potential. The pricing is a little on the high side but after all, this is downtown. During the “soft opening” week all menu items are 20% off which makes it more palatable, and there are some online deals to be found with various “deal of the day”-type sites.